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In any profession, trade, or hobby, conferences and trade shows are the place to go to see and hear about the latest techniques and equipment as well as to network with peers. The aquarium hobby is no exception, and we are bringing you this special all marine issue of CA to coincide with this year's Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) in Boston, MA. Many other conferences and trade shows are held all around the country and for all areas of interest.
After attending my first
big aquarium conference, I could not imagine why more folks don’t attend. Cost and time are certainly big
issues. For many of us, our hobby is already as expensive and time consuming as
we (or our spouses!) can tolerate. However,
when it comes to cost, I am a strong believer that nothing has saved me more
money in this hobby than being well educated. The costs invested in books, club memberships, and of course,
conferences have been recovered many times over in preventing the loss of
animals and by knowing how to “do it right the first time.”
MACNA attracts well over
500 marine aquarists annually and boasts an amazing list of speakers. The vendor hall is always an amazing sight to see, with displays of
marine livestock and all of the newest dry-goods. Speakers usually discuss husbandry information and techniques, the
state of the hobby and the environment that our animals come from, cutting-edge information like breeding marine fish, public aquarium research and the
newest developments. A
lot of credit has to go to the organizers of each conference for providing
attendees with such a great lineup of events, but the best part of any
conference isn’t planned or scheduled, and that is the camaraderie!
When considering why
more folks don’t attend aquarium conferences, I considered that perhaps some
aquarists believe that only “fish super-geeks,” “coral snobs” and the
like attend conferences. This
truly is not the case. The chance
to get to know, chat with, and learn from fellow everyday hobbyists truly is
the very best part of any aquarium conference!
Even the “celebrities” of the hobby are easy going and pleasant to
chat with. How often does the
average aquarist get to ask Eric Borneman about his corals, or Scott Michael
about his fish, or Bob Fenner about opening a fish store?
When it comes down to it, they are all fish geeks too, and love to hang
around and chat like the rest of us.
Trade shows are an
opportunity for manufacturers to display their products for a large number of
industry professionals and for industry professionals to see the offerings of
a large number of manufacturers. Although
trade shows are really meant for industry professionals, the average hobbyist
can gain entrance with a bit of planning and perhaps some help from someone
who is a professional. Most
casual aquarists aren’t aware of what is available to them beyond the walls
of their local fish store. Heck,
a lot of the time, the local fish store doesn’t know what’s available
either! Attending a trade show
will really open your eyes to what is out there.
The Interzoo pet industry trade show is held every two years in Nurnberg, Germany and has become one of the largest pet industry trade shows in the world. I spent three full days at Interzoo trying to see all of the aquatic exhibits, and they were only about a third of the total pet product offerings! Manufacturers from every corner of the globe exhibited equipment, food, supplies, and even livestock for just about every type of pet interest imaginable. While traveling to Germany is a bit extreme, it is a great opportunity to mix business and pleasure. If flying to Europe is beyond your interest, never fear, there are several large trade shows right here at home. In keeping with the “cutting-edge” spirit of aquarium conferences and trade shows, we are including two articles about Zeoliths and a new product line called ZEOvit. Zeoliths are minerals that selectively remove certain substances from water and exchange them for others. The ZEOvit system employs specially chosen Zeoliths to maintain ultra-low nutrient levels in reef aquaria. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Alexander Girz, who authored one of the pieces. Care to guess where I had that opportunity? At Interzoo of course! Alexander was so convinced of the benefits of the system that he wished to bring more information about it to American aquarists, so we arranged for a translator and here it is! We hope you enjoy this issue of CA, and as always, we welcome your feedback at camag@wetwebmedia.com or on our forum at www.wetwebfotos.com. Adam Cesnales |
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